Becoming Average
by stride.for.victory
Summary: Jenny, or XJ-9, is not your typical teenager. She never was…until one fateful day. Her mother, Nora Wakeman, created the invention of her career, changing life as Jenny knew it forever. She finally begins to fit in with the "in-crowd," and gets to experience life as a teenager from the average girl's point of view. Mostly Jenny x Brad, but there is brief Jenny x Sheldon. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: New and Improved

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It was Friday afternoon on a warm, sunny day in early March. Jennifer Wakeman sat comfortably on her purple-burgundy bed reading over a popular teen magazine when she heard a voice call her.

"XJ niyan!" It was her mother.

Jenny rolled her eyes briefly before she called back, "Coming, mom!"

Of course the genius inverter of a woman was not literally her mother, but Jenny had grown to believe and call her so. It was hard to believe that Nora Wakeman had developed a nearly perfect and socially acceptable machine of a teenage robot five years ago, but was still hard at work making improvements.

Her daughter came down the stairs and entered the control room across from the living room of the house. "What's up, mom?" she asked.

Nora turned in her seat to face Jenny as she said, merrily and proudly, "I have a big surprise for you. I'm positive you remember the Exoskin we-"

Jenny cut her off. "Oh no, no way am I letting that monster of a thing crawl up my body again." she told her strictly.

"No, no dear. That old thing is long gone. You never came back with it the second day I gave it to you, remember?"

"Oh. Oh yeah." Jenny recalled. As she did, her mother pulled up a blueprint of her latest invention.

She presented: "Yes. So, this is brand new Exoskin, never before seen by anyone! Well, except me of course." Nora laughed. "I equipped it with fibers that allow it to move and feel like real human skin."

"Wow," gasped Jenny as she gleamed her eyes up at the massive screen and stepped toward it.

"I also merged improved nerve endings into the suit so you could feel like a human being as well; everything ranging from pleasure, warmth and the cold to pain, though I did minimize the sensitivity of the pain for your sake."

"You're telling me..." Jenny commented, recalling her last encounter with the prototypical nerve endings. She still awed at the blueprints as she said, "Thanks, mom!" in a gracious tone.

"And the best part is: you can fight in it!" Nora told her in an excited whisper. "It will allow you to expose any weapons necessary without ripping or deforming. It's bullet proof, water proof, laser proof, and flame resistant, and that also goes for the hair. The only thing it's not is blade resistant, so if a sword or knife comes swinging at you, make sure to avoid it, dear."

"Don't worry about that. If I can dodge tracer missiles, I think I can get around a measly knife." Jenny laughed. "And even if I don't, it'll be an easy fix, won't it?"

"Well yes, but still, careful dear." Nora warned with her finger.

Jenny limp-wristed, "Yeah, yeah. Will do, mom. Now let me try that new suit on for size!" she asked, jumping in joy, making loose items around the room shake due to her immense, 600 pound form.

Nora pushed a button that sent the file from the mega computer to a machine that 3-D printed anything she desired; it was another one of her inventions, naturally. This time, regarding the exoskeleton, Nora made sure to make prototypes and test them before she used her precious XJ-9 as a guinea pig.

They got up and made their way down to the basement slash laboratory of the house. Nora spoke as they walked along:

"Just a few more things: I finally got the hair of the Exoskin to move more freely, allowing you to shape it in any way you like. And, this skin doesn't have clothing attached with it; it's simply exoskin. So now you have all the freedoms of the average girl. You may dress your hair and yourself up however you like! You know, to fit those 'trends' and whatnot."

Jenny's eyes gleamed and she held her hands by her face and said, "Wow, mom! This is like, my dream come true! You've really done it this time, I'll tell you that. Sincerely, too."

At the 3-Dimensional printer, and with the flick of a switch, and a boat load of anticipation filling the teen robot, a final copy of the state-of-the-art Exoskin slid out of the machine, folded perfectly.

"Wow, you even fixed this thing to do that." Jenny commented in awe. Her eyes then focused on the skin. "But never mind that. Wow! Look at this...it's gorgeous!" She picked it up my its shoulders and held it out before her.

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Nora giggled, flattered. She went over to pick up her clipboard and a pen to take notes once again. "Now, press the belly button gently and set it down before you." she told XJ-9 as she began to scribble down today's date.

Jenny did so and then waited, watching the Skin intently. A virtual clock had appeared out of the belly button and counted down: 5...4...3...2...1. The skin shot out black nerve endings that attached themselves to Jenny's feet, then her legs, her abdomen, arms, and lastly her neck and face. Only afterwards did the skin begin to draw itself onto her form; instead of crawling onto Jennifer like the second prototype had, the skin attached itself with one smooth motion onto her form. Beams of light glowed from the seams, and then faded into the rest of the skin. Another beam emitted light horizontally and traced down the robot's form, from head to metallic toe.

Jennifer had closed her eyes when the nerve endings began to attach themselves to her, remembering the last time a certain second skin had done so. Now that the skin had seamed itself onto her, she crept them back open and asked, keeping her eyes fixated on Nora, "Did it do what it was supposed to?"

Her mother put the clipboard and pen down slowly as she stared at her improved invention, her daughter. She walked toward Jenny with her hands out and touched her arm cautiously, in awe. A smile curled upon her features. "Yes...yes it did exactly what it was supposed to." She laughed as she touched her daughter's bright ginger hair. She ran her fingers through the strands. Her eyes began to water as she added, "You're so...beautiful, Jenny."

"Mom, please don't cry." she laughed in an understanding way as she tipped her head.

"No, no dear, they are- tears of joy." Nora wiped her eye. "I'm sorry...you're just- I've always wanted a daughter like you. Brave and beautiful..." She took an old, oversized lab coat that hung on a rusted hanger and handed it to XJ-9's bare form. Nora then went back over to her clipboard and folded up the notes she took.

Jenny took the coat and slipped it on. She then blinked down at her skinned form, looking at her hands and legs. She turned her attention back to Nora's words and gently asked, "What do you mean exactly, mom?"

Nora put the notes in her pocket as she replied. "Well...when I was younger...my doctor, he said I couldn't have children…I wasn't able to support a pregnancy...so I left my husband in shame and...I began to work on you, dear."

Jenny blinked as she took in the small amount of words her mother said; they struck her off guard. "Oh, mom... How come you didn't tell me this before?"

"I did not think it mattered before... But, that aside." she told Jennifer as she chuckled. "Come along dear, let's get you properly dressed." Nora began to walk to the stairs leading back up to the house, but then realized something rather essential and stopped herself. "Oh, that's right... Undergarments. Should have thought this through a bit more..." She mumbled the last bit to herself.

"Under-what's?" Jenny raised a brow.

"Undergarments. You know, things like bras and underwear. They go under your clothing, dear." Nora pointed out.

"Oh, right. Pssh, I knew that. What do you think I am, five?" Jenny limp-wristed before widening her eyes and realizing, 'Oh...that's right, I am five.'

"That's right XJ-9. Technically, you are five. Anyhow, we need to get you those essentials. Come along, dear!" Nora called as she left her inventions room and headed toward the car. She then stopped short again. "Wait a moment..." She snapped her fingers. "I just remembered. I developed some undergarments along with the skin." She laughed and then rolled her eyes. "Oh, silly me."

"You made some for me? Why can't I just buy them and-" Jenny began to inquire, but was cut off.

"Because, dear, if you are going to need to transform into something, I'm sure regular underwear will rip and it'll be all for naught. You understand?"

"Oh, right." Jenny whispered in realization.

Nora laughed. "Come along, dear."

They went back into the room containing the large-screened computer. Jennifer's mother opened up a file that displayed the typical female-assisting items: a bra and panty. She pressed the "send file" button and turned to Jenny to say, "Could you go down and bring them up for me, my nut bolt? These weary knees get tired quite easily these days."

Jenny merrily agreed, placing a hand on Nora's shoulder momentarily before she hopped down the stairs to the cellar and flipped the switch, allowing the machine to print. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited for the items to form. As she did, a few thoughts and questions came to mind. She made sure to present them to mom as soon as she came back up.

As Jenny reentered the room with the synthetic undergarments in hand, she asked, "Mom, will I grow hair and secrete- uh, bodily fluids like other humans, too?" Jenny handed the items to Nora as she replied. "Oh no, not at all, dear. The Skin isn't that advanced. And even if I was able to make it do those things, what would be the point? That would ultimately get in your way and become obnoxious."

"Yeah, you're right. I was just wondering." she shrugged.

"Well, I'm glad you were. Now let's get upstairs and get you dressed, my dear." she added with a laugh as they marched up to Jennifer's room.

Her closet held hand-me-downs from people that were friends with Nora in the olden days; they were close enough friends with her to know about her project. Nora opened Jenny's closet as Jenny held the lab coat closed around her waist. Her mother tapped her chin thoughtfully as she scanned its contents. "Hmm, how about this? It's blue just like your usual body color." she said hopefully, as she held out a plain, sky blue dress with spaghetti straps.

Jenny shrugged and nodded. "I guess so, yeah." She took the cloth and placed it on her bed. "It's funny, see a lot of girls at school wear dresses like this." Jenny added.

"Good! Then it isn't too outdated." Nora cheered.

Removing the old lab coat and putting the synthetic undergarments on, Jenny then draped the dress over herself with her back turned toward Nora for a tad bit more privacy. She couldn't help but look at herself in the vertical mirror. Her expression morphed into one of shock and amazement. She scanned herself over: light tan legs and arms coated with a thin layer of peach fuzz. Her whole body was spotted with freckles: her limbs, her chest and her cheeks. She leaned closer into the mirror and ran her fingers over her facial features; they were so alive, so full of life, so clear and smooth and- wait a second. They were smooth; she could feel her face, she could feel her hair, her arms... It was like suddenly being able to see. She had wispy bangs upon her forehead, swept to the side as they were on her usual form. The rest of her hair was layered, and flowed down her back like a waterfall from her cheeks all the way down to her waist. Looking at her new, improved self was truly a sight to see. 'Is this, really me?' she asked herself, gazing at her reflection up and down over and over. "This is really amazing, mom." she admitted once more.

Nora chucked and blushed, flattered. "Oh stop…" She regained her composure and told Jenny with much anticipation, "Now, let's get outside and test this Skin further."

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 _Thanks for reading! Please review. :) New chapters every Monday._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mall Adventures—Skyway Patrol

* * *

From hammers to laser guns, from her arms to her abdomen to her feet to full form transformations, the improved Exoskin adjusted to XJ-9's every command and gesture.

After sharing some more joyful moments together and a sentimental embrace, Jenny was allowed to go into town with one hundred dollars spending money to shop for new clothing as a sort of reward. She thanked her mother and left the house, but didn't race down the streets like she expected her body to do.

She stood before the house with a small corral colored hip-purse, and thought for a moment. What if she saw people from school, should she acknowledge them or pretend not to notice? What if Brit and Tiff decided to flaunt their latest combined styles? They'd make her look like absolute crap. 'That would just be splendid...' Jenny grumbled mentally. She took a breath and blinked away the negative thoughts swimming in her mind. She took another look at her outfit in the humanoid skin, straightened herself up, and began to walk out toward the sidewalk, trying her best to contain the ecstatic joy that had emerged once again.

Jenny's mother had also given her shopping money to buy new shoes; she walked down the sidewalk in a more than ancient pair of her mother's shoes. She kept her chin up in order to distract others from her footwear.

A bright idea then popped into her mind: Bradley; she could visit him and show him her new skin and let out all her bottled up energy all at once. Jennifer nodded to herself in a 'That's a fantastic idea!' sort of way as she widened her grin and made her way to her neighbor's house.

She took in another breath, making sure to keep her composure, and stepped up to ring the doorbell, holding her bag in anticipation. She tapped her fingers on it repeatedly, and when the door handle began to move, she swiftly tucked a slice of hair behind her right ear.

Brad opened the door and paused, capturing the girl before him, his expression shifting to that of awe quite quickly. He raised a pointer finger toward Jenny and scanned her up and down, trying not to keep his gaze stuck in one place for too long. He then realized his motions and thought, 'Get a hold of yourself, man! You don't want to look like a freak at first sight.' Shaking his head back to reality, Brad leaned on his shoulder against the door frame. He said, as suavely as he could, "What's happenin' doll face?"

Jenny giggled over her shoulder with her eyes closed briefly. "Just taking a stroll through town. Thought I'd stop by." she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, I see. That's funny, I don't think we've met." he replied as he straightened himself back up, placing a hand in his pocket.

"Haven't we?" Jenny asked out of the corner of her eye. She watched Bradley grin and furrow his brows; his expression of shock retuned when he recognized the girl's expression and, 'That voice...'

"Jenny?! No way!"

She chuckled. "Yes way."

"How did this happen?!" Brad asked with his hands, exclaiming his words in a surprised manner.

"The same way it did last time," Jenny shrugged lightly. "My mom spent a couple months tweaking the second version of the Exoskin and, this one's the best yet!" she told him with a hop.

"You're telling me! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were _born_ human. With that thing on, there's no way to tell you're a robot." Brad pointed out, the grin still plastered to his face.

"I know, it's so great!" Jenny let out in an excited whisper as she shook happy fists next to her cheeks. She then pointed into Brad's house and said, "Let me in, I have a lot more to tell you."

Brad moved aside and let his jumpy friend pass him. He let a giggle out his nose, the goofy grin still on his face. He noticed Jenny's hair jump and sway when she moved, which only made her new form more fantastic and realistic. 'My lawdy...Jenny's just, so pretty in this advanced skin.' Brad thought, a light blush powdering his features.

Jenny set her purse down on the room's padded chair as she started to talk. "Okay, so get this: this new skin is bullet proof, laser proof, fire proof and, most importantly water proof." she highlighted and counted on her fingers, then gasped before she said, "Does that mean that I can finally go swimming?! Well, that's something I'll find out later." She waved the thought off to the side. "Ehm, I also won't have to worry about sweat or pimples or having to shave my legs or anything; the skin doesn't allow those functions. And the best part is: I can wear whatever I want, all day, every day!" Jenny jumped up a few more times with a wide smile.

"Wow, that's great Jen!" Brad nodded. "But what about when you have to fight, won't you have to take it off?"

"Nope, that's another thing. Mom designed the skin to adjust to all of my transformations. Watch." Jenny drew out a laser from her arm and the Skin retracted and adjusted to the weapon as it was expected to do. She then exposed a bigger weapon and then a larger one yet until she transformed fully into a massive laser blaster, the Skin retracting and adjusting its shape perfectly each time. Brad gasped. "Amazing..."

"It sure is!" Jenny cheered as she returned to her standard form. "Do you know what this means? People won't look at me like I'm a freak anymore; I can finally avoid constant embarrassment, harassment." She took hold of his shoulders. "Can you believe it, Brad?! It's like a dream come true, it's so great!" She let out a squeal of joy as she shook her hands and hopped around Brad's house some more.

"Yeah, it is! Your mom really out-did herself this time." he admitted with a light blush. He didn't try to keep it strictly hidden this time as Jenny had her back to him. She admired herself in his mirror: her bright ginger hair, intricately placed light brown freckles, those sky-blue eyes and ruby red lips... She looked like she did before, with the older skin on, feature wise, but in this skin, every little detail was unmeasurable... Brad blinked himself from her reflection.

"Alright," she sighed in an attempt to bring herself down. "I came by just to show you and- let out some of my excitement." Jenny admitted with a laugh. "I was heading to the mall to buy some new clothes. All I have in my closet are mom's old hand-me-downs." She rolled her eyes as she picked her purse up and placed it back on her left shoulder. "Care to join, Bradley?"

"Yeah, of course! What are we waiting for?" he laughed. Brad grabbed his house keys and wallet before they went off.

"You know, my mom gave me a crap-ton of money to spend, so I don't think you bringing your wallet is really necessary." Jenny commented as they walked down the sidewalk.

"Really?" Brad questioned in a surprised manner at the fact that Mrs. Wakeman had given her money openly. "Well, either way, you never know when a credit card or a comb will be needed, so I always travel prepared." Brad replied boldly.

Jenny rolled her eyes with a grin.

As they continued to walk, she thought some more about her Skin. "Oh, and another thing: I can feel!" she gasped as he held her right hand up to Brad. "And more accurately this time, not just pain and 'tickle;' everything from my skin to your skin to textures of clothing and, I can feel this purse... It's really great. My mom morphed a new set of nerve endings into the suit, so now I can even feel like a human, everything from pleasure to warmth to the cold to pain."

"Impressive. But you do know that can be both a good and a bad thing, right?"

"Not really. I can turn the nerves off whenever I want."

Brad nodded understandingly. "Ah, smart." He walked next to Jenny with his hands in his pockets. Brad also made sure to keep his expression and his motions as relaxed as possible. Being around someone as gleaming as Jenny right then and there was not an easy task.

•

The two traveled around the mall from store to store, searching for any and every article of clothing for Jenny to try on: from tube tops to graphic shirts, from skirts and shorts to jeans and leggings, and dresses of all lengths. She tried on and egotistically modeled a few articles, the ones she thought flattered her figure and the colors of her new body best, swinging her hips and flipping her hair as she did. Brad cheered and clapped and made screaming crowd noises every time, getting told several times to pipe down by employees.

They made sure to shop at the stores that had major discounts to try and spend Jenny's money effectively; for the most part, anyhow. Jenny let herself spend a few extra bucks on a flattering dress or a form-fitting pair of jeans. Bradley couldn't forget about himself, of course, so he bought a couple more pairs of khakis, aside from those already littering his closet, and a better fitting, sixty-dollar, white Ralph Lauren dress shirt.

"Really, Brad? You're willing to pay that much money for a plain white shirt?" Jenny inquired with a cocked brow.

"Hey, if it cost that much I expect it to be made from high-quality fabric, so, in return, it should last me a long time. And besides, it's my money I'm spending." he defended.

"But you do realize that you've already spent more than all the money I have on three articles of clothing, right?" Jenny pointed out.

Brad widened his eyes and glanced over at her. He then limp-wristed, "Ah, who cares? My parents pay me weekly, anyway." Jenny rolled her eyes to that.

Through the five department stores they had been to, a little over fifty percent of her mother's money was spent on clothes; now it was time to hit the shoe stores. Five dollar flip flops, fifteen dollar sandals, a couple pairs of flats, and two pairs of sneakers bought from Payless and Famous Footwear set the teen 'bot for life. She slipped on the pair of blue flip flops she bought, and fiddled her toes in the foreign shoes, overly excited to wear them. On their way back from the superstore, they tried to evenly split the bags among themselves, but Brad insisted on carrying the majority of them.

"Brad, I can lift a jumbo jet. A few shopping bags won't kill me." Jenny insisted, but Brad kept up his stubbornness. She shook her head in an annoyed manner, but ultimately didn't argue about his gesture.

About a quarter ways from the mall, Brad proposed a question as he silently struggled with the fourteen name-brand bags, hanging on his arms and in his hands. "Hey Jen, wanna stop by my house for a quick dinner?"

Jenny thought it over for a moment, thinking about her school work and realizing she had finished it all earlier that afternoon, and further about the time of day it was. She popped out her small wrist watch to check the hour: 6:23pm. 'It's not too late.' she told herself. "Yeah, sure. I mean, if you have any propane or motor oil lying around your kitchen." she replied with a chuckle.

He looked over at her and sarcastically said, "You know I always do." They both chuckled before Brad added, "No, not in my kitchen, but I do have oil in the garage. So yeah, you up for it?"

"Sure thing, dude." Jenny replied.

Another mile of dragging themselves down the sidewalk and they arrived at the redhead's home. Since he had too many things occupying his arms and hands, he asked Jenny to pull the keys out of his pocket. She gave him a wide-eyed look that she made sure he didn't see, and with slight hesitation reached for his pocket. The warmth from his body stored itself in his pocket. Jenny felt so on her Skinned hand. The heat made her nerve ending send tingles all around her hand and her circuits run wild to the new sensation as she fished for the keys; she had only done so for a few seconds, but a blush appeared on her cheeks as she pulled herself out of her thoughts. Luckily, Jenny noticed in time to shield her face with the majority of hair that fell on the left side of her head as she fumbled with Brad's house keys in the door's lock.

When the pesky key finally made it in the lock, they struggled into the house and flopped nearly two dozen bags to the ground with a huff. 'The texture of his pants...and the warmth of his body...' Jenny shook her head and tried to calm herself; feeling Brad in that particular area was not what got her in an excitedly tizzy. It was the absorption of heat she felt. Trying to get her mind of of it, she looked around the living room briefly and asked, "Hey, by the way, where's Tuck?"

"Oh, he and his friend made plans to game at his house and stuff." Brad replied as he caught his breath and sank in the couch-chair.

"Since when does Tuck hang out with people other than us?"

"That's what I said, but he didn't respond, just left with a loud 'bye!'" Brad imitated. Jenny tipped her head to the side and raised a brow, but shrugged her thoughts away quickly afterwards. "So," Brad began as he sat himself back up. "How about dinner?"

"Yes, I'm starving." Jenny agreed. But before they could enter the kitchen, a rumble shook them. It didn't seem to come from the ground, as no loose objects in Brad's living room shook about. They held their arms out to steady themselves. The rumbling came in pulses, and it made the both of them curious. "I'll check outside. You stay here and...watch my clothes." Jenny ordered as she exited out the front door. Brad let out a hard sigh as she did, but when he was out of her sight, he rushed up to his room and stuck himself out the window to get a better look at the action.

Jennifer flew up, with the use of her metallic pigtails, and saw a massive, mutilated hawk-snake-frog-dragon thing of a creature fiercely batting its wings and roaring, merely 300 feet from the house. It glowed a neon green. Jenny scanned its being: 'Radioactivity within the creature is high. Approach with caution.' her system operator warned. She let out a hard sigh and rolled her eyes. "Mother Nature just can't leave animals alone, can she?" Jenny stormed up to the creation, ready to take it on and get the fight over with, but was halted by the infamous Skyway Patrol, the town's "legal" crime patrolling agency. "What the-?" she began to herself, but was cut off when a Skyway recruit zoomed up in front of her in his air cruzer.

"No need to interject, miss." he said to Jenny, his back turned. "We can take care of this- thing, no problem!" With that reassurance granted to her, he went on with his business, along with 5 other Patrollers.

"But I'm not just another girl, I'm-" Jenny tried to explain, but none of them could hear her over their laser-firing and encouraging yells. She flew up closer to them in the midst of the fighting. "Listen, guys! I can take care of this." She dodged a fired laser. "Those lasers won't do anything to it." Missiles were fired behind her. Jenny crossed her arms in annoyance and commented loudly, "Hitting it with missiles is like throwing toothpicks at it..."

A man on a cruzer drifted over to her. "Ma'am please. We have this under control, and we don't need your intervention, or sass."

Jenny held her hands out as she replied. "But you don't understand. It's me, XJ-9. My mom just built an Exoskin for me, so now I look different. How many other girls have you seen with rocket-powered pigtails?"

The recruit held his hand up and insisted, "That's wonderful, hon, but I assure you-"

"'We have it under control.' Yeah yeah, whatever. Fine, you guys can have that thing." Jenny mocked, then released an oversized hammer from her arm and slammed the monster away, causing the fighting Skyway members to chase after it; exactly what she wanted. "But if you're going to mess with it, have it be far from here. I want to enjoy the rest of my afternoon." The recruit next to her growled and threw her a look, but followed the monster as well. "You asked for it!" Jenny called to him as he left. As she returned to the ground, Jenny noticed a group of reporters and photographers scatter about, going their separate ways. 'News about that fiasco should be in the evening paper.' she thought to herself.

"Aw… That's it, really?" Brad whined out his window.

"Hey, I _wanted_ to fight it but Skyway Patrol has their ways…" Jennifer defended.

Brad let a disappointed sigh escape this throat. "I guess you're right. But, hey! That just leaves us more time for dinner." he highlighted with a grin.

"Yeah, true. Let's get to it then." Jenny replied as she flew back into Brad's house.

•

The two sat in the breakfast nook of Brad's kitchen and conversed further about Jenny's new transformation, exaggerating, in a positive way, all the possibilities that had opened up socially and educationally-she could apply to colleges without them judging her for having a mechanical advantage-but then rethought the possibility over. If she ever did get accepted into a college, let alone decided to apply to one, it would get demolished by her rocket power and accidental use of super strength more likely than not.

Later they moved on to talk about school and the three months they had left of it. They knew these last few months would fly by rapidly like the others had earlier in the year and in the school years prior. Junior year would be over in the snap of their fingers, and SAT's and finals still had to be taken; they were no problem for the android, but with Brad, it was a different story. He had struggled with curriculum since 5th grade, but that did not necessarily make him an "intelligently impaired" student. Either way, since freshman year, Jenny had been assisting him with his school work, since it was the friendly thing to do, and that helped Brad tremendously.

After conversing for nearly two hours, Jenny wished her friend a good night and looped the zillion shopping bags around her arms and on little hooks she let out of her body. Flying up to her room through her window, Jenny thought over the day's passed events with a wide grin. She appreciated the time she and Brad spent, and couldn't wait to go to school in her new Skin the next day. In her room, Jenny debagged all of her clothing, hanging the majority of it up in her closet and folding up the rest. She put them at the bottom of her closet after she vacuumed the dust out with her robotic gadgets. She stepped back and admired her work. 'The rest of this year is going to be one helluva time.' she told herself.

Jenny then made her way down to the living room of the house, and found her mother in a bathrobe and a pair of slippers, reading the newspaper and sipping at an elegant cup of tea. She asked XJ-9 as she approached her, "So, how was the shopping, dear?"

Jenny let the day flash before her eyes one last time with a grin. "Oh mom, it was the best day of my life. Brad came along with me to the mall and we shopped around all afternoon, everything from shirts to jeans to skirts to dresses and sandals and flats and- it was just such a riot! No one looked at me like they used to, mom! I'm finally, truly fitting in."

Nora took another sip of her tea as she looked up at her daughter. "Just remember that every day is not going to be all shopping and giggles."

"Mom, I know. I'm just saying. It's been bliss..." Jenny replied, looking off into space once more.

"I heard Skyway Patrol got in your way when fighting today."

Jenny rolled her eyes and made a noise of disgust. "They interfere with everything I do!" she shouted with her arms wide. She then crossed them tightly and muttered, "It's really getting on my last nerve."

"But hey, at least you got to spend the rest of your afternoon in peace." Nora pointed out, nearly echoing Brad's statement from before.

Jenny noticed her mother's echo and subtly raised her brow as she replied. "Yeah, I guess so."

Nora then looked up at Jenny from the newspaper. "Another thing about the Skin, dear; for hygiene purposes, you'll need to take it off every day. To get rid of any allergens or bacteria that could harm us humans, that is."

"Right, right; interstellar voyages and things. I gotcha." Jenny nodded. "So, should I take it off now?" she asked Nora.

"Yes, dear. That would be best." Nora replied as she set the paper down on the table and stood up. "Press your belly button." she ordered gently. Jenny did so and the suit of skin un-seamed itself with a glow, and began to slide off her form.

"Perfect." Nora whispered merrily.

"So I just do the same thing to put it back on?" Jenny asked, sliding the now loose Skin off her form like a wet suit.

"Yes, dear. Just place it on the ground before you and press the belly button." she replied as she folded the Skin up. "Now, one more thing: if you ever needed to detach yourself from the Skin, in case anything dire were to happen, all you need to do is press the back of your neck. It won't work for anyone else but you, as metal to metal contact is needed."

"Alright, cool. Thank you again, mom." Jenny gave her mother a genuine kiss of thanks on her cheek, and made her way back up to her bedroom as Nora made her way down to the lab.

Back in her bedroom, Jenny laid on her back in bed and replayed the time when she needed to reach for Brad's house keys. It was such a foreign thing to her, feeling. She had only experienced, a few months back, the human conditions of pain and "tickle," and even those two simple sensations overwhelmed her. Now that her Skin was equipped with "a rainbow of sensations," as Brad once said, it felt like being showered with 20 boys wanting your attention all at once; you get a spice of this one, another throws you a compliment, the other offers you a frosty drink, and you? You're left to take it all, unable to mutter a word amongst the chaos; the ability to feel felt this way to Jenny. There were too many boys trying to get her attention...

She wondered if the sensation she felt when in Brad's pocket was normal, if it was just her body reacting to a new ability. She hoped so... 'But then again, why should I hope? Its fact: my body is just getting used to the ability to feel. Right? Like a baby beginning to walk. The body needs to adjust...' Jenny told herself.

Not wanting to think about the subject anymore, she turned over on her side and fell asleep, the hint of a smile painted upon her features, a blush powdered upon her metallic cheeks.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Next chapter coming next Monday. :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Hair, Boys, and Prom

* * *

On Jenny's first day in the Skin, nearly everyone, excluding the Krust cousins of course, let their jaw drop as they stared at her new form. Boys wooed and crowded around Jenny, and girls questioned about her beauty secret. She didn't reply to anyone but simply held her head up with a grin and a light, flattered blush.

During the first week in her, enhanced Skin, the boys greeted Jenny suavely as she arrived at Tremorton High with Brad. Some complimented her about her outfit and then left, while others walked her to her locker and to class. Brad stayed with Jenny as the other boys chatted her up and walked with her, being as friendly as he could to them, but he soon began to feel rather uncomfortable with the excess company, and would walk off with a different friend as Jennifer strolled with the boys. One morning, she hardly noticed he had walked off as she was bombarded with attention.

Moreover, the android made a hefty amount of female friends as she did masculine friends; she befriended girls that weren't angrily jealous of her new appearance, naturally. One of those girls was Frida, a short-well, rather short in relation to the six and a half foot XJ-9-spunky, flamboyant, lean girl with short, wispy, bright blonde hair. She had moved to Tremorton from New York City during Jenny's sophomore year; they shared the same grade level as well as an interest in theater. The android met her through Drama club, and quickly learned about her obsession with the 1920's. Frida wore beaded flapper dresses every Friday, for a personal, weekly holiday she called "Fancy Friday." Every other day of the school week, she wore dresses of all sorts, disregarding rain, hail, or gusty winds. In the winter, however, Frida dressed more appropriately; sure, she was full of energy, but she was calm and keen when it came to her academics, and she always made sure to maintain common sense.

Anyhow, in Drama Club, Frida participated as a crew member, specializing in hair and makeup of all sort. Her skills with makeup ranged from daytime subtle to circus wild to special-effects dizzy, and she practically had a textbook index of hairstyles written in her head. She had learned her skills at a young age, thanks to her mother; she was a Broadway director and actress. Frida participated in theatrical clubs in NYC as well, so her talents never became rusty.

On Jenny's first day in the Skin, Frida practically danced over to the android when she caught sight of her after school. "Jenny?" she asked beforehand, so as not to frighten a person that didn't know her.

XJ-9 looked over to the person who called her and smiled broadly. "Hey, Frida!" she cheered.

"Oh my gawd, ya look so good! What happened? Tell me tell me tell me!" The blonde jumped up and down as she spoke, and Jenny told her all about her transformation. They walked to the android's house from school together, and once there Frida stated, "Hey, I can teach you how to do your makeup! Oh, I can see you with your enhanced features already..." She placed a hand under Jennifer's chin and examined her face, picturing it subtly brushed up with makeup.

The Skinned android giggled. "Thanks, girl, but wearing makeup would really be for naught, and applying it a waste of time, too." she stated honestly. "It would probably come off or smear all over my face whenever I battled villains."

Frida gave some thought to her friend's statement before she agreed that would probably be the case. "What about your hair? You gotta let me show you some basic stuff, at least." she urged, giving Jenny puppy eyes.

The android peered at herself in the mirror and played with her hair, running her fingers through it and holding it up in various spots. "Ya know, I would _love_ if you could teach me. This whole 'hair' thing is completely new to me, so some pointers would be helpful." Jenny smiled.

Frida cheered and clapped her hands as she pranced over to her bag and pulled out a clear zip-lock bag full of scrunchies and little rubber bands, and another with bobby pins. She then explained, step by step, showing Jenny in the mirror as she did, how to French-braid her hair, traditionally braid it, tie it into a ponytail, into a sleek and messy bun, and into waterfall and fishtail braids. "The fishtail one is easier than the waterfall, so if you really want to braid it waterfall style, call me over and I'll help ya." Frida informed her, then winked at her in a friendly manner.

"Will do." Jenny laughed. "Thanks again for helping me out."

"Of course, dawling! Anything for my favorite robot." Frida told her genuinely, and they briefly laughed together.

From then on, the externally improved XJ-9 mixed the hairstyles she learned with her outfits, pairing jeans and loose shirts with messy buns, casual dresses with small braids at the crown of her head, her bangs loose... Long story short, thanks to Frida's help, she could dress herself in a more detailed way, as she could pay attention not only to her clothing, but her overall appearance.

Brad liked Jenny's new hairstyles as much as she did. He kept complimenting her in his head from day to day, and admiring her from afar, but eventually, Brad couldn't contain his thoughts any longer. One day at lunch, he threw it out in the midst of a conversation:

"It's just funny how much the press has been all over me lately. Like, yes, I'm wearing Exoskin that I can fight in, what's the big deal?" Jenny told him, speaking about a recent interview she had about her Exoskeleton; the story was published in the _Tremorton Times_ that morning and mentioned on the cover. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the attention I'm getting and people's interest in me, but like... I don't know. I would like it a little better if there were just a tad bit _less_ of everything."

Brad nodded, signaling that he was on the same page, then held up a finger and fired away. "By the way, I don't mean to interrupt but, I wanted to tell you: I like what you've been doing with your hair. Who taught you how to do those hairstyles?"

Jenny blinked, bringing a hand to her hair as she caught onto what Brad said. "Oh, thanks." she smiled. "My friend Frida from Drama Club taught me. We had a cram session about basic hairstyles last Friday at my place."

"Oh, cool! That's nice. You look good with your hair in a bun." Brad told the android quickly, gesturing to her hairstyle as he did. "But I'm sure one of your other fans said something about your hair already." he then remarked.

Jenny pushed him back playfully when he complimented her. "Pff, stop," then said, "No one did, actually, other than a few girls from my classes."

Brad raised a brow. "No other guy said _anything_ about your hair?"

"Nope, you're the first. So far, anyway." Jenny informed him, then added as she flipped her tied hair, sarcasm lingering in her gesture.

Brad breathed onto his nails and polished them on his shirt. "Swag." he said as he did. "By the way, that hair-flip made no sense because-" he added, but was cut off by Jenny.

"I know I know," she laughed, "I was trying to be funny but failed."

"Little bit," the redhead pointed out, laughing with her as he bit into another French-fry.

•

Day after day, week after week, boys of all grades and heights and ethnicity stuck to Jennifer's hip, complimenting her about her looks and curves; anything you could think of that could receive a compliment or a remark of awe received it. Of course girls still admired her new appearance, but the boys made it known that they loved the new Skin she was in.

About one fourth of the 30 boys that asked for the android's number, got it, then bombed her new cellphone with texts and calls, actually received a reply; the rest of the boys' calls went to voicemail, and their texts were either never replied to or deleted. Since so many of them were suddenly interested in Jenny, she figured she could be as selective as she pleased. After much deliberation, Jenny went on a date to Mezmer's with Rick, to a movie with Max, to New York City by plane with Zachary-he had money to spend and decided to spend some on Jenny in the Big Apple, long story short-mini gulfing with Brendon, to a roller skating rink with Victor… Kile took her for a walk around town and bought her a can of deluxe propane, and David...well, he didn't exactly take the gentlemanly rout.

David Deal was a classmate in Jenny's science class, and since the students could sit anywhere they liked, he grabbed a seat next to the changed android as quickly as he could. He'd been passing notes to her under the table, and placing them in her lap since the day he acquired a seat by her. David also insisted on taking pictures of her rump whenever he caught sight of her in the halls; it pleased him, but not as much as he would have liked.

So one night, a Friday night specifically, David came over to Jenny's house and snuck up to her bedroom, courtesy of her grand window. The Skinned android halted her nail painting when she heard tapping on the glass.

"David? What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by and visit." he told her plainly with a grin.

"Were you heading somewhere? It's pretty late at night," Jenny asked, then looked at the clock on her bedside table. It read: 10:15 pm.

"No, I just wanted to get to know you little better, is all." The two sat on Jenny's bed and talked about school and the futures they had planned, for roughly two minutes, before David decided to bring up a more sensual topic. "So, have you ever...done anything outside the box or, ever made-out with a stranger?"

Jenny whipped her gaze over to the brunet. "Uh, no. Why?"

"Just curious. Do you want to?" David asked with a soft grin, his eyes low.

Jenny slid away from him on her bed. He wasn't a stranger to her, but she didn't really know too much about him either. She turned her gaze from him before she said, "Um, I don't know if I'm ready for that yet." A blush of embarrassment, and slight nervousness, powdered her cheeks then.

"Come on, babe. It'll be fun, it's nothing serious. Let's just play with each other, like kids at the playground." David urged, making sure to keep a charismatic tone in his deep voice.

Jenny looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a grin. "Really? Nothing serious?" she asked, doubting him momentarily.

"Yes, really. If you want, I'll leave you alone afterwards. Whatever you say goes, sweet-cheeks." David grinned softly.

The young android debated her reply. "Alright. But remember, if you wanna try me on, don't think we're together. I change like the weather." she winked. (Quote courtesy of the group _Karmin_. Song: Try Me On).

"I'll remember." he whispered, leaning into Jenny as he did.

Before she knew it, their lips interlocked and meshed together, effortlessly. He brought her atop him gradually, and caressed her artificial skin with his whole hand, snaking it throughout her form, making her sensors run wild. Moans escaped Jenny's throat and her back arched at the overdose of pleasure David showered her with. Jenny had never experienced anything of the sort, but she knew any make-out session would evidently lead to much, much more; she saw it happen in rom-com films.

David then pinned Jenny down on the bed, keeping a firm grip on her wrists,, and loomed over her. Her eyes went wide with shock, and she slipped her hands out from under him and pushed him back as she said, huffing as she caught the breath she didn't have, "I think that's enough, David." It took the teen boy a few minutes to bring himself back into the room, but when he did, he let Jenny go, thanked her and said, "Maybe we can do this again sometime." before he left out her window with a goodnight.

Jennifer knew that if their intimate kissing were to happen again, especially in her bedroom, it would most certainly guide them to a much more fiery and sensual happening. So, after that night, the android never returned David's calls or texts, and ignored his existence outside of science class at all times. As the weeks came and went, Jennifer limited the amount of boys she got involved with, replying to calls and/or texts less frequently and evidently forbidding herself to agree to any more dates. She needed an emotional break, and the cycle of flirtation was beginning to get old, anyhow.

•

The temperatures got hotter and muggier, and the kids got stupider and lazier as the school year progressed. Over time, everyone got used to Jenny's look, but one strange occurrence, or rather a usual one that had been halted, was the daily insults thrown at her by the K Cousins. Jenny noticed, a few days after her first appearance in the Exoskin, that they started to walk by her in silence, showing only an expression of anger on their faces. She always grined to herself and snicker. 'Jelly much?' she would think.

Brad needed to adjust to the changes as well; at first he was jealous of Jenny receiving the excess attention from everyone, but in particular from the other boys. He made sure to avoid the halls full of them crowded around her for a solid week; he didn't want to deal with the mess of people, and Jenny didn't notice his avoidance, so it wasn't a big deal.

Junior Prom later rolled along, in mid-April, and Brad was sure one of Jenny's paparazzi boys would jump on the ask button. But, as it turned out, Sheldon had asked her...and she said yes.

"What made you agree to go with him?" Brad asked with a raised brow and a forced grin, trying to make it seem like he was alright with what he just heard from his best friend.

"Well, one of the reasons was, and don't tell him this but…it was out of pity. The guy should get to enjoy himself with me for once. That, and I didn't trust the other boys enough." Jenny admitted.

Brad's grin began to droop, so he needed to pull it back up as he said, "Oh, alright. That's nice, yeah. He deserves to have some fun..." His gaze drifted away.

"Who are _you_ taking?" Jenny then asked.

"I don't know yet, but I'll find someone for sure. Besides, Prom's not for another two weeks." he limp-wristed.

Frida had done Jenny's hair and makeup on the night of Prom, as Jenny agreed to let her do so several weeks back. As Frida got the android properly dolled-up, they too conversed some about why she had agreed to go with Sheldon of all people.

Jenny shrugged gently as she said, "I just feel safer going with him than with any other guy. That, and the kid loves me to death!"

Frida would have asked about Brad and why she wasn't going to with, but the thing was: she didn't know the first thing about Brad. They'd never met. So, instead, she shrugged and nodded, "Alright, I see where you're coming from. But I wouldn't be too sure about the whole 'safety' thing. Guys can turn on a dime, ya know." Frida warned.

"Yeah, I know, but Sheldon? The kid wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Eh..." Frida had experience with boys and their attitudes, so it would take a lot of convincing to change her mind. "Still, keep an eye on him and play things safe."

Jenny scoffed with a grin. "Yes, mom."

The doorbell of the Wakeman household then rang, and Nora proceeded to answer the door. "Oh, why hello there, Sheldon." she greeted. "Aren't you looking spiffy." she then laughed, complimenting him on his ironed suit and slicked back hair.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wakeman. I'm here to pick Jenny up for Prom tonight." he explained.

"Yes, I'm aware."

Jenny looked at her friend that acted as her face and hair dresser for the night, and grinned. Frida smiled back at her and took hold of her shoulders. "You two have fun tonight. And remember, no funny business." she winked. Jenny laughed and nodded, then took hold of her purse and proceeded down the hallway and the stairs.

Nora then called, "Jennifer, Sheldon is here to-" but was cut off by the sight of her android daughter coming down the staircase; Jenny wore a bright blue dress down to her knees in length with a beaded heart-shaped neckline, a corset sewed underneath the cloth that hugged her figure. Glittered, vertical frills extended from her hips down, and a loose, transparent cloth attached to the dress covered her left shoulder. Silver, strapped shoes completed the outfit.

Sheldon and Nora gaped at her gleaming form. At the foot of the stairs, Jenny laughed and waved a hand before their faces. "Earth to mom, Earth to Sheldon."

Nora blinked herself from her daze and awed, "My, my how you have developed."

Sheldon thought, 'Wow...she's so stunning in that dress...it's unbelievable.' before he straightened up and held out his arm. "Shall we get going?"

Jenny took his arm and replied confidently, "Yes, let's 'shall.' The night won't stay young forever."

"Oh, off with you two, before I burst into tears!" Nora cheered as she pushed them out the door playfully. Frida came down from the top floor then and waved them farewell, then shut the door and went to have a cup of coffee with Dr. Wakeman.

Before the house stood a chauffeured, midnight black Cadillac, running as it waited for the temporary couple. The android awed at the expensive car and offered a look of shock to Sheldon. He winked at her and opened the door, ushering her in. The interior of the car was lined with soft, black leather, and it smelled of champagne. Once Sheldon entered the car, the driver offered a glass of the suspected champagne to him, and another filled with premium motor oil to Jennifer. She took it humbly, a hand of flattery on her chest. They clanged their glasses together and sipped the beverages on the way to Tremorton High.

Little did either of them know, a certain, angrily jealous redhead saw the Prom couple board the pompous Cadillac. He groaned and shut his blinds after they departed.

•

Many friends and fans of Jenny's crowded around her, flooding her ears with a slew of complements. Guys questioned Sheldon about how he got Jenny to go to the dance with him, and he was forced to explain his "strategy" a few dozen times that night.

The two conversed on the sidelines of the dance floor much more than they actually danced, but once in a while, when the DJ put on a catchy song, they would strut their stuff without a second thought. Then came the slow-dance song, the second to last song of the night. With a blush, Sheldon held out his hand as he silently asked Jenny to dance with him. She politely accepted his offer with a smile. The slow tempo of the song caused those dancing to it to rock side to side slowly, mindful of every motion. It also allowed Jenny's nerve endings to absorb the heat and energy that radiated off of Sheldon. She took note that it wasn't the same feeling she felt when she embraced David that night when he came through her window, or the one she felt when she went on dates with the other boys; this closeness felt more like an embrace of gratitude in a way, but Jenny didn't see an issue with that. Besides, she and Sheldon were just friends, after all.

Halfway through the song, Jenny felt comfortable enough to lay her head on his shoulder, regardless of its bony nature. Sheldon blushed and gently pressed his cheek to her hair, catching a whiff of its Springy sent. He engraved into his memory every moment of the night, detail by detail, and stored those memories deep in his mind.

At midnight, the same chauffeured Cadillac arrived before Tremorton High and then dropped Jennifer off at her home. At the foot of the Wakeman household, Sheldon gleamed his eyes into the android's and thanked her genuinely for spending the night with him. "I couldn't have asked for more." he admitted.

Jenny giggled, flattered once more, before she said, "It was no problem. Thank _you_ for the good time."

The two then bid one another goodnight, and as they did, Sheldon placed a kiss on Jenny's hand. He then began to lean into her, his lips heading for hers, but Jenny turned her head away before he could place his intended kiss on them; the brunet kissed her on the cheek as a result instead.

Jennifer glanced at Sheldon in shock for a moment, and mentally asked him 'What on Earth? Wait… I should have expected that…' However, not wanting to end the night on a bad note, she quickly smiled and laughed lightly, trying to bring the mood back to what it was before. "I'll see you around, Shel."

"Yeah," he chuckled, both nervously and brightly. "Catch ya later. Thank you again!" Sheldon concluded as he briefly waved goodbye and went back to the black Cadillac, a satisfied grin curled at his lips.

•

Brad never did find someone to take to the dance; his first option was Jenny, and all his other back-ups acquired dates long before Prom. So he sat in his room and pretended to be watching Captain Spunk reruns; the whole night he looked out the window and fumbled with his nails, letting the TV play in the background. 'Just when I thought I had a chance with her...' he thought to himself.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Next chapter coming next Monday. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Gone Mad

* * *

Shortly after Junior Prom, about two weeks later, Jenny experienced the most strange and terrifying happening in her life, that she saw as a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

She casually walked into her house and up the stairs to her room, listening to a new music album by the _Unnaturals_ , one of her favorite rock bands. She bought the CD from the mall on her way back from school, the whole ways enjoying the music through her large headphones; she had slid the disk in through her metallic mouth that acted as a CD player whenever she pleased.

She entered her room and closed the door behind her, nodding to the music she loved most with her eyes closed.

Suddenly, a metal collar was clipped onto her neck, and in surprise she stopped the music and swiftly morphed her headphones back into her head. She looked down at the device but could only catch a glimpse of it before she collapsed onto the floor like a rag doll. With her face down, she couldn't see the person tying her hands behind her back, her backpack now removed from her shoulders. "Who's there?! Get your hands off me! Mom!" Jenny ordered and then called out.

The person behind her plainly said, "Your mom- left to town, Jenny."

Her eyes widened wildly. "Sheldon?"

The person didn't respond, but Jenny could recognize his voice anywhere. He scooped his arms under Jenny's and dragged her to her bed. "Let go of me, I said! What do you think you're doing, Sheldon?!" He leaned her up against the bed so that she sat up relatively straight.

Sheldon walked in front of her and knelt down. He felt more frustrated than confused about seeing Jenny hang out with the other boys, those that still paraded her about her new looks, when she agreed to go with _him_ to Prom. He simply felt he should get or should have already gotten some sort of social advantage for taking Jenny to the Junior dance, and perhaps even an advantage in their friendship that he desperately wanted to become something more.

He then took a breath and looked Jenny straight in her fiery eyes and said, "I have to tell you what I've been trying to for the last three years, Jenny."

Her eyes became more angry and she clenched her teeth. "So paralyzing me and tying my hands behind my back is the way to do it!?"

"It's the only way you'll actually listen to me without any interruption!" Sheldon burst. He immediately realized his outburst and sighed. "I'm sorry for doing this to you, Jenny. I just...you need to hear me out." He then pulled out a cloth from his back pocket and wrapped it around her mouth, tying it tightly behind her head.

"Sheldon. Sheldon! Mmmph!" All Jenny could move were her lips, brows and eyes; everything from her neck down was immovable, so she couldn't fight back in any way.

Sheldon sat back on his feet and, before he said another word, calmed himself, glaring at the carpet. "Jenny..." he began, and spoke with his hands as he continued. "I'm not going to be all poetic about it, since it doesn't really matter at this point. I just want you to know that, through everything that I've been through, and no matter the amount of times I've been really upset at you... I want you to know that- I really do love you. And I would do anything for you. Even when-" Sheldon got cut off as he heard the front door slam and an excited "Jenny!" come right after. Brad was making his way up the stairs to her room.

Sheldon gasped and bit his nails. "I can't let him see you like this. He'll call the cops on me, or worse!" Sheldon got up and began to untie Jenny's hands. Coming up the stairs, Brad called, "Jenny, Jenny Jenny Jenny!" making Sheldon more nervous. This only caused his untying to be slowed, so before he could get one knot out, Brad burst into the room.

"Jen, big news!" Brad cheered as he held a miniature purple box in the air, a light-blue ribbon tied around it. His smile drooped as he stood in the doorframe of her room. "Uh, what's going on?" Sheldon froze and Jenny mumbled something through the cloth. Brad stepped into the room as he asked Sheldon, "Did you find her like this?"

The brunet got up and stepped away from Jenny as he rubbed his neck. "Uh, well, actually..."

Brad stepped closer to Jenny and examined her frantic eyes, then whipped his head back to Sheldon. "Did you do this to her?" he spat.

"It- it's not what you think." he attempted to defend.

Brad turned to Jenny and she furrowed her eyebrows as she threw the teen in the maroon hoody a sharp look and growled.

Sheldon held his hands up. "I can explain!" he said with a shaky voice.

Brad snickered and tossed the box onto Jenny's bed, then turned back to Sheldon. "Alright, go ahead. I'm sure I'll enjoy hearing about your tenth Master Plan to get Jenny." he sassed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

"Mmph!" Aka: 'Brad!' Jenny thought that was rude of him.

"Excuse me?!" Sheldon growled. "What have you ever done to impress Jenny?"

"Oh, I'm glad you asked. Let me begin the list right now!"

"Ho ho, be my guest! I'm sure it won't be too long a list." Sheldon fired.

The paralyzed girl let out a hard sigh and rolled her eyes. 'Are they really about to do this?'

"Why you- I'm sorry, but who was the one by Jenny's side through most of her battles, huh?" Brad inched closer, intimidating Sheldon with every word.

"Who was the one that put hours of hard work and sweat into making her helpful weapons and attachments?!"

"Jenny never even needed either of those things! She was fine with the things Mrs. Wakeman made for her!"

"That's beside the point!" Sheldon yelled to the ceiling gripping his hair, his eyes shut.

"Is it? I mean, they never did help her, maybe that one time when she fooled Vexus. But let's be real, Sheldon. I wasn't the one that took part in the Silver Shell fiasco." Brad held his hands up in sarcastic defense.

Sheldon stepped closer to Brad and got up in his face. "You leave that alone! I know it was a huge mistake but... you never tried to help Jenny in _any_ way!"

"Mmmh!" Jenny screamed as she furrowed her brows at Sheldon, ordering him to calm down.

Brad raised his brows and jabbed a finger at Sheldon's chest. "False. I saved her life from the deranged clutches of Doctor Locus, _and_ from intergalactic rock- people- things." Brad looked to the side as he choked out the last few words, but then waved his hands to the side, wiping away the awkwardness he had created. "Anyway, I tried to and _did_ help Jenny in a lot of ways! You were just never around to witness it." He crossed his arms confidently.

"Oh yeah, because I'm sure she was always so thrilled to have you get in her way of things. All she sees you as is an obnoxious sidekick!" He clenched his fists as he spat the words at Brad.

"MM- mmMM!" (Shel- don!) Jenny waved with her voice, shooting Sheldon a glare.

Brad clenched his hands all the same and yelled, "All she's ever seen you as is a geeky stalker!"

"Mm- mm- mmMM!" Aka: 'That's not true!'

Brad continued. "You were so desperate to find out more about Jenny you stole her blueprints! You even got _paid_ to stalk her."

"That's was only one time! At least I care about her!"

"At least I didn't try to imprison her sisters!" Brad shot as he briefly pointed to himself. He leaned back and popped his brows up in a 'ha!' sort of way.

Sheldon shook in rage, and with clenched teeth he swung full force at Brad, hitting him straight in the jaw and knocking him off balance. Brad was used to impacts to the face, thanks to the constant tackles he faced during football practice, so not wasting time whimpering, he furrowed his brows sharply and threw and upper-cut at his momentary enemy.

The teens fought with one another, punching and kicking and strangling each other, pulling one another's hair and growling as they scuffled on Jenny's carpeted floor. As they did, the teen robot screamed at them to cut it out through the cloth over her mouth. She thought, naturally, that the fight was pointless, but it disturbed her even more because she couldn't break it up; the inhibitor around her neck kept her limp. But then, Jenny realized she could use her lips and prosthetic tongue to remove the cloth out of the way, so her protests could actually be understood. When she was finally able to inch it off her mouth, she furrowed her brows and shouted gruffly, close to tears, "STOP!"

Brad and Sheldon froze, the brunet pulling the redheads hair with a fist pulled back. Brad stopped his struggling as he pushed Sheldon's face away, another fist at the ready as well. "Have you two gone mad?!" Jenny asked, screaming the question. The boys remained frozen in their positions as they stared at her with wide eyes, surprised at her outburst. " _You_ paralyze me and tie me down just so you can confess your obvious love for me, and _you_ start bickering with him for no reason!" she shouted, yelling at Sheldon and then Brad, her voice quivering as she did.

The teen boys looked at one another again before they separated, then avoided eye contact as they realized their somewhat ridiculous behavior; they felt their fight was completely justifiable. They then whipped their eyes back over to the tied up female robot when she spoke again, tears escaping the rims of her eyes.

"I'm just- so confused and overwhelmed with all the changes at school, with suddenly being popular and having to appease people's expectations to stay popular and what not...and I'm overwhelmed with myself... This was the _last_ thing I needed. I thought you of all people would know better, Sheldon... But I suppose I was wrong." She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip to restrain further tears from falling, then took a calming breath and told the brunet sharply, "Untie me, now."

Sheldon did as he was told after some hesitation, and let Jenny loose of the ropes that bound her, then the paralyzation of the inhibitor. As soon as she could move her gears again, she swung a slap across his face, exerting so much force she nearly snapped his neck. She glared at him with hard eyes and then wiped her tears. Jenny then took the metallic inhibitor into her hand and crushed it, shattering everything to bits. "Get out of my house." she growled lowly at Sheldon, pushing the rope and damaged restraining mechanism into his chest forcefully.

Sheldontried to defend his actions, "Jenny, please, I-" but was sharply cut off by the android.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" she ordered.

With a jump and a small yelp, Sheldon got up and left the building with his head hung in embarrassment.

Jenny held her head in her hands and took a few more clearing breaths; not that she could actually breathe, but it helped her relax when she did this. She ran her hands through her hair as she stood back up.

Then there was Brad... "Why did you come here?" Jenny asked gently, but frustration still loomed in her voice.

The redhead stood up as well and straightened himself out before he gently said, gesturing to the wrapped box on Jennifer's bed, "I came to give you that. It's the newest album from the _Unnaturals_." He slipped tense hands into his pockets before he added, "That's all... I didn't come here to compete with Sheldon."

"No, I didn't think you did but...I just wanted to make sure." she replied, using her hands impart as she spoke. Jenny then looked over at the box on her bed and hesitated before she added, "Um...I don't mean to make you look, ya know, stupid or anything, but- I bought that same album from the mall after school today." She inched over to the bed as she spoke, and picked up the wrapped gift, handing it back to Brad as she added, "I unpackaged it and listened to most of the songs already so, you should give it to someone else or return it."

The redhead glanced at the box and held his hand up, rejecting the return of the gift that was rightfully Jenny's. "No, it's for you and- if I return it I _will_ look stupid."

"Brad…" She drew out his name, trying to convince him she didn't need it.

"Jen, just take it. If you lose or break the other CD, this one can be your backup." he advised with a grin.

Jenny brought the gift back to her and gleamed happy eyes at him. "Well, thank you. I appreciate the thought."

"Don't mention it." he shrugged nonchalantly, but Brad felt his heart thump against his chest.

After placing the gift box down on her mirror table, Jenny growled in frustration again, replaying the recent events that took place in her room. "What?" Brad asked, confused by her sudden growl.

"I just don't get why he needed to do that to me. I should have the mind to call the cops on him..." Jenny told him, speaking of Sheldon.

"I wouldn't go that far. Maybe call his parents instead." Brad advised, gesturing in the direction of Sheldon's house.

"You're seriously telling me not to 'go that far?' Brad, he bonded me and paralyzed me, that's a serious crime. What are his parents going to do?" Jenny replied, frustration brewing in her tone again.

"Well, I see what you're saying, but the guy's just- lost. He wants to be noticed by the in-crowd, but he doesn't know how to do that."

"Alright, I get that, but he didn't need to do that to me." Jenny crossed her arms and looked away from Brad, her brows furrowed.

"Yes, you're right, he didn't." he agreed gently. "But what will calling the police solve?" Brad asked the android calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Jenny whipped it away and smacked air between her teeth.

"Brad, please. We've both had enough of that guy, me more than you." She paused and glared at him. "I mean think about it, think about all the things he's done wrong: he's stolen my blueprints, worked for an undercover, _illegal_ organization, arrested my sisters without just cause, impersonated a superhero, AKA the police…" Jenny counted off on her fingers, then threw her hands up in a 'What are we supposed to do about that?' motion. "We're just supposed to let all of that go and say, 'Oh he's just lost'?" she asked rhetorically and mocked.

"Wait, he impersonated the police when he was the Silver Shell?"

"Yes. Only those with a certificate stating they can are supposed to enforce the law and save people, people like me, the police, and- I guess Skyway Patrol."

Brad looked to the side, thoughtful. "Well...if all of those things he did _are_ illegal, then..." Brad had mixed feelings toward the- socially awkward brunet, but he still didn't feel federal arrest was necessary. However, Jenny's mind was often difficult to change, as it was now.

"Thank you." the android said, partly to herself, as she transformed out a microphone from her head and mentally dialed 911. A woman came up on the other end, and Jennifer told her she had someone to report. She told about all the illegalities Sheldon had committed, every last one, and the woman asked where he was now.

"He left my house, but he's- a friend...so I know where he is." Jenny told her with some hesitation, upset about everything Sheldon had done.

"Alright, I'll need you to provide me with his address. I will let the police know he needs to be interviewed under oath." the woman told Jenny, and she supplied the woman with the information asked for.

"Thank you for the call. It was very necessary." the 911 receptionist told the android before they disconnected.

Jennifer placed the microphone back into her head and looked out her window silently, her arms crossed. Brad came over to her side then, and admitted, "You did the right thing." She looked up at him with saddened eyes, and without another word took him into an embrace, her cheek pressed to his, her brows furrowed with emotion. Bradley hugged her back, and Jenny relaxed into him when he brought his arms around her. They remained this way for some time, looking out the window together, wondering about how things would change now that Sheldon Lee, one of their past-friends, was to be arrested.

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! Next chapter coming next Monday. :)_


	5. Update

_**Author's Note** : __Hey guys! If you're a follower of mine, then you know I post a lot of these. Sorry if they get annoying or kill your excitement about another chapter. But there will be more coming!_

 _If you've been following this fic for a while, I AM SINCERELY SORRY FOR THE LONG ASS WAIT/HIATUS. :'(_

 _I plan to write the next few chapters this week, aka between May 23rd through the 27th. So there is more to come very soon!_

 _Thanks for taking interest in my story! :)_


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